Last revised 11 December 2006
Course Syllabus for IRLS 688 Marketing of Library and Information Services to Communities
- Course Name, Number, and Prerequisites
- Course Description
- Course Objectives
- Required Course Materials
- Course Requirements
- Course Policies
- Grading
- Contacting the Instructor
Instructor: Spring 2007
COURSE NAME, NUMBER, AND PREREQUISITES
Marketing of Library and Information Services to Communities
IRLS 688
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
A virtual course focused on the application of marketing principles to librarys and information service organizations. 3 credits.
Since the 1990s, the concept of marketing as applied to library environments has been misunderstood. Instead of just public relations or advertising, marketing is the process of communicating with customers and potential customers to determine needs, to design services to meet them, to inform the community about services, and to evaluate them so that they can be improved.
Marketing in this highly competitive information environment is increasingly important. Libraries compete for dollars with other academic and municipal services as well as with other information providers. For libraries to continue to hold a valued place in communities, they need to be skilled at understanding needs and targeting services to meet those needs.
This course will look at the marketing cycle as it may be applied to a variety of library environments. It will look at the relationship of marketing to program planning, branding, focusing on customers and customer relations, promoting services, and evaluating them. It will look at both physical space and virtual space as they promote the image of libraries and provide places for service delivery.
The course will be highly interactive, with online lectures in a number of formats, interactive discussion forums, readings in both the marketing and library literature, and examination of promotional materials, both printed and online.
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COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course, students will:
• Be familiar with marketing concepts and terminology;
• Be skilled in gathering information about customer needs;
• Be able to design services and products that will engage both those who use libraries and those who don't;
• Be able to promote the image of 21 st century libraries to a variety of communities
• Be skilled in gathering feedback from library users and analyzing it to improve services
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REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS
• Weingand, Darlene. Marketing/Planning Library and Information Services. 2 nd edition. Libraries Unlimited, 1999.
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• Woodward, Jeannette. Creating the Customer-Driven Library, Building on the Bookstore Model. American Library Association, 2005.
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COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Students will be required to carry on extensive discussions using the D2L forums and the class blog. They will be expected to read a number of articles, most of which will be available on line through the U of Arizona Library and its course reserve system. In addition they will be expected to read outside blogs related to marketing in general and to marketing in libraries specifically.
Assignments will include a series of reviews of articles and websites, review and evaluation of promotional materials, both traditional and digital, and design of such materials. Artistic abilities are not required. Materials will be judged on the concepts and creativity of the ideas and how well they adhere to marketing principles.
A group project will involve developing a marketing program for a library or information service organization that will include data gathering, analysis, product or service design, a marketing budget, a promotional plan, and an assessment plan.
COURSE POLICIES
Academic Code of Integrity
Students are expected to abide by The University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity , see . 'The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own.' If you have any questions regarding what is acceptable practice under this Code, please ask an Instructor.
Accommodating Disabilities
The University has a Disability Resource Center . If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send me, the Instructor, official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.
Assignment Policies
- Completed assignment will be submitted via the D2L dropbox unless otherwise specified. Some completed assignments will be shared with other student. Assignments will be commented on and graded and returned to students via the dropbox.
- Assignments will be expected to be submitted on or before the dates specified. The instructor will be willing to negotiate alternative dates as needed but only if such negotiation takes place prior to the due date. Late assignments that have not been negotiated beforehand will be accepted at the discretion of the instructor.
- Assignments are expected to be professional in appearance; that is, they are neat in appearance, grammatically correct, with no spelling or typographical errors. Citations may be in any recognized format as long as they are consistent.
Incompletes
The 1997-8 University of Arizona General Academic Manual , p.23 reads
The grade of I may be awarded only at the end of a semester, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of I is not to be awarded when the student is expected to repeat the course; in such a case the grade of E must be assigned. Students should make arrangements with the instructor to receive an incompete grade before the end of the semester ...
If the incomplete is not removed by the instructor within one year the I grade will revert to a failing grade.
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GRADING
Each assignment will be graded, and each assignment will be given a percentage weight for the semester grade. Assignments will be given the following grades:
A+ (95-100)
A- (90-94)
B+ (85-89)
B- (80-84)
C+ (75-79)
C- (70-74)
D+ (65-69)
D- (60-64)
E (59 or below)
University grades do not include + or -. Final grades will be computed on the work of the semester plus participation in class discussions and will receive a grade of A, B, C, D, or E unless an Incomplete has been agreed to.